Social Security is a God-send

IRVINE, Norman Ewers: Letter-writer Steve Dufau [“Affordable Care hustle,” July 5] really ripped into fellow letter-writer Maryanne Rose [“The sting of Obama's legacy,” July 3] for having the temerity to challenge his knowledge of "President Barack Obama's insidious Affordable Care Act that was shoved down the throats of a protesting American public."

The most charitable thing I can say about Dufau's tirade is that he is ill-informed, especially when he holds up the "fools" running Social Security and Medicare as examples of how "(in)efficient and (in)capable" the government is. I am a beneficiary of both and can tell Dufau from personal experience they are both models of efficiency and capability. Social Security has been a God-send to millions of elderly Americans, and has been well-funded enough for the federal government to borrow from it. If, at some time in the future, it needs financial restructuring, the source of additional income is not raising the retirement age, which would create a career bottleneck for younger workers, it is increasing the income level of those subject to FICA so that the contribution of wealthy workers would be more in line with what minimum-wage workers now pay. And Medicare, it has saved my family's financial bacon several times; everyone should have it, and they could at significantly less cost than is the present case.

Dufau is either unaware of, or ignores the fact that, the United States' profit-driven health care system, where insurance company overhead is about 25 percent (Medicare 4 percent) and drug companies have a “license to steal,” is the most expensive in the world yet ranks only 37th in quality of care delivered.

Winston Churchill once said, “You can trust the Americans to do the right thing – after they've tried everything else.”

Right now we're in everything else mode in health care and care for the aged.

What the Right stands for

SAN CLEMENTE, John Jenal: Well, I find it quite amazing how letter-writer Maryanne Rose writes such a fictional account of reality [“The sting of Obama's legacy,” July 3]. It seems the "regular" liberal contributors to Letters to the Editor fail to grasp the facts. Hyperbole aside, we have a Constitution, the Rule of Law and a Judeo-Christian heritage that has made our United States the greatest nation on Earth.

When Rose accuses the Right of not knowing the facts about the health care law she apparently doesn't know or purposely excludes the fact that her liberal politicians admitted that they didn't even read the bill before voting for it. Senate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in her usual elitist tone, told us we "could find out what was in it once we pass" the bill. And of course, it is such a wonderful bill that the liberal politicians excluded themselves and the president from its reaches. Let us not forget how Obama supporters have been able to get exemptions for the right "donation." I call that fair.

Oh, the typical mantra of Wall Street, corporations and other businesses Rose rails against were the biggest contributors to Obama's campaign. He is the one who promised more transparency and change but not a single executive has been charged with anything. Sure they have paid fines but, fines are not a deterrent for the continued and profitable criminal behavior. The fact is that Rose and the liberals are in charge. Where is U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder?

Then you blame the recent Wisconsin recall election outcome on whom? I guess you do not remember how the unions spent millions and, of course, you throw out the down-trodden "99 percenters." The fact is if you were correct, then 99 percent would have voted to recall Wisconsin's governor.

It is also quite funny how you know what the Right-wing stands for. Obviously you don't know, because we believe in this; our nation's founding bestowed by providence and earned by being a virtuous people, of limited government, the right to pursue our talents, dreams and work ethic, taking our possessions and investing in our families future and give donations of our time and treasure to those in need, and the right to worship and thank God for our blessings. We believe in the Rule of Law for all, not just for those who play by the rules. These principles were the foundation for what built and made this the greatest country on Earth. We do not believe in big government and elitists that write and pass laws but exempt themselves from them. These are key components of what the revolution was about.

Hopefully this July 4, all Americans reflected on our current situation. Sadly we have an absence of virtue, ridiculous debt and spending practices, a broken economy and economic policies, a growing elitist class based in Washington D.C., an ever encroaching government and an administration that promised us the world and has us on the road to being Third World.

See what Cuba is like

COTO DE CAZA, Robert Tungate: Maryanne Rose's July 3 letter [“The sting of Obama's legacy,” July 3] posits that the Citizens United ruling portends the death of democracy in America. Acknowledging that Congress has approved health care legislation that garnered 47 percent disapproval against 36 percent approval in the voting public, any informed reader should have noted by now that democracy is already in rigor mortis, and supporters of the Constitution and the free-market aren't the ones holding the smoking gun. I might suggest that Rose and her son address their concerns by absconding Cuba, where the health care system and political environment are to be more to their liking. If she chooses to follow this advice, I eagerly await her next letter to the editor or, at the very least, the parts that are not censored. You've got to love those socialists.

Right cries foul over Obamacare

Wow. Conservatives are angry that the judiciary wasn't more "activist" for failing to overturn a duly passed law. Now they are crying foul that people who use the emergency room as their general practitioner and then skip out on the bill might be "taxed" for their efforts. Anyone remember their old comic books? Are we living in the Bizarro world?

Don't believe false news

IRVINE, Doug Sorey: Letter-writer Roger Rhoades [“The sting of Obama's legacy,” July 3] has the gall to complain about AP reporter Ben Feller's bias [“Obama legacy isn't sealed quite yet,” July 1] and then says two editorials should be viewed as news [“Fight shifts to fall,” Commentary, July 1][“Obamacare made legal by a lie,” July 1] . That puts his ability for rationality instantly into question. Rhoades is the perfect example of someone who has been duped by the news media, and I use that term very broadly, when Rhoades talks about Affordable Care Act being the largest tax increase in history he has become a perfect example of the spin of faux news. The Affordable Care Act, according to a Pulitzer Prize winning site, does not even make the top five tax increases in United States history, and even the idea of it being a tax has become a mantra for faux news.

Obama has doubled the boarder agents in our country and illegal immigration numbers have never been lower and yet the complaint is made about our boarders being unsecured. Rhoades you are the perfect example of faux viewers being the least knowledgeable of all. After reading Feller's article it appears to me that at least he does not use any false information. Rhoades does not have the same standard he sets for others I guess.

Enough with 1984 already

ORANGE, J. Brian Bruns: I've had enough with the Orwellian flim-flam regarding the Affordable Care Act. George Orwell said: “People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome.”

A grossly obvious fact is that medical care and health insurance are not the same. We're told we're getting medical care but the mandate is that we pay for insurance.

What? I have to see an insurance agent when I get sick?

No one has ever received qualified medical treatment from an insurance company. In fact, insurance companies deny treatment prescribed by highly-trained, licensed, medical professionals.

When my job was eliminated I was offered COBRA insurance, which I declined. Now, I only pay for doctors when I need them and the cost is less than with insurance. I'm saving over $15,000 per year because I removed the insurance component and I have the freedom to choose whatever level of care I want.

Our liberties have been violated by the Affordable Care Act. It is unconstitutional. Even an Obama-patriated illegal alien would know that if they read our Constitution.

This November be smart; vote for the candidates who know and will uphold our Constitution.

Keep economics non-partisan

IRVINE, Chuck Feeney: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which is a "non-partisan" agency, provides economic analysis of all bills that pass through Congress. The CBO "estimated" that Obamacare could develop a potential savings of around $1 trillion over 10 years. Now, the Republican pundits decided that a non-partisan approach makes no sense, and that true financial estimates should come from a “partisan” committee of Republican strategists, because they are the only ones that truly understand math. So, their own completely fair and balanced budget analysis concluded that Obamacare would produce no savings whatsoever, and would actually increase costs by $1 trillion. Is it possible that this analysis could be a handy political tool to use in the upcoming election?

The CBO also concluded that the so-called tax/penalty would only impact about 1 percent of the people, those who elected not to purchase medical insurance. But of course the Republican analysts, with their own completely honest evaluation, decided that it would impact the vast majority of the middle class. Here's another political strategy based on myth.

I've seen numerous taped interviews with Mitt Romney in which he states that the mandate is the only way that health care can become affordable, and even mentions that it can eventually help 45 million uninsured people get coverage. Since there aren't that many people in Massachusetts, he was obviously referring to the entire country, not one state. Wonder how he debates this issue?

It would be nice if the nasty letter-writers would make a little effort to investigate, rather than just jump on the spin bandwagon. It's a sad day when winning an election is more important than helping our country improve the economy. The current polls show that Obama has a 16 percent lead in California, so what's there to get worked up about? Perhaps the bandwagon should make an attempt to move to one of the swing states where their biased views and votes might help polarize the country even further than it already is.

Letters to the Editor: E-mail to letters@ocregister.com. Please provide your name, city and telephone number (telephone numbers will not be published). Letters of about 200 words or videos of 30-seconds each will be given preference. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor: E-mail to letters@ocregister.com.
Please provide your name, city and telephone number (telephone numbers will not be published).
Letters of about 200 words or videos of 30-seconds
each will be given preference. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.